


he that thou knowest thine

by j0hnirvings



Category: Hamlet - Shakespeare
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, fixit au where everyone lives except claudius and hamlet becomes king, no homophobia here lads, they get to be sappy and romantic because i said so!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27166055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j0hnirvings/pseuds/j0hnirvings
Summary: hamlet sighed, eyes shining with gladness and seizing the lovestruck scholar by his chin for another kiss. this one was marked, sweeter than the wedding bells horatio swore he could already hear.--------marriage proposal au lads!!!!
Relationships: Hamlet/Horatio (Hamlet)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	he that thou knowest thine

this wasn't the first time he'd gone quiet- pensive, really- after speaking with his mother, and from the look on his face, it wouldn't be the last anytime soon.

"what troubles you, sweet lord?"

the future king of denmark ceased his pacing and landed in front of the window, stormy, sea green eyes glaring out at the blistery winter day. he sighed, dropping his head into his hands.

"my mother insists that i find a queen, horatio, but..." hamlet groaned, rubbing at his temples. "oh, i shan't put that burden on ophelia! the dear maid- she's endured enough."

horatio understood. the two of them had managed to successfully fake a romance to avoid being married off for so long, but they would be a miserable pair if married; ophelia was wonderful, always considerate and strong- she couldn't afford to be tied down by anyone.

hamlet picked up his nervous pace again, tugging at the hem of his silk shirt and stealing glances at horatio, as though the man wouldn't notice. as horatio studied his lord, the odd guilt he'd been forcing down to the pit of his stomach began creeping back up again.

with every bone in his body, horatio wanted to marry hamlet. he was hopelessly devoted to hamlet, of course, but being joined in holy matrimony had never been a pressing issue to the scholar. not until, that is, the aftermath of hamlet's whirlwind assassination of his corrupt uncle. it was a marvel anyone had survived that treacherous duel, least of all hamlet- and horatio realized what they had was precious, that he would lose his beloved if he waited too long. 

but things had changed. hamlet was under enormous pressure to marry before he was crowned king, the court saw ophelia as a good match and horatio wasn't from royal blood.

it wasn't any good to dwell on it. that was, at least, what horatio tried telling himself- but the fact that he couldn't marry _his own true love_... it filled his chest with a forlorn ache he dreaded to be alone with.

hamlet turned to him suddenly, grabbing horatio's hands and bringing them to his chest. his free hand settled upon the scholar's waist; when he was being particularly romantic, hamlet's fingers had a tendency to leave little warm shivers in their wake. it was a quick mood shift and made horatio weak in the knees. they kissed comfortably, mouths moving in a rhythm invented by them. horatio supposed all lovers had their own special language.

"mine own heart beats for thee, horatio. i could never love another."

"the same, my lord- my sweet hamlet- how i love thee."

"i belong to thee."

horatio remembered, faintly, the letter hamlet had sent him after being whisked off to england. _he that thou knowest thine_ , hamlet had signed it- horatio had felt a twinge of guilt when, under such circumstances, his heart could flutter from the familiar stroke of a pen. love could turn the most steadfast of men wide-eyed, it seemed.

he glanced up slightly then, and hamlet met him halfway, apprehensive. his lord's hands had begun to shake. horatio couldn't help but frown at that- what was the matter? it was endearing, and a little strange; hamlet had a dark blush upon his cheeks, one that usually followed cupid's arrow... a look horatio hadn't witnessed since their first kiss. he took a deep breath and carded a hand through his curls, as if gathering up strength.

"lend me your courage, sweet horatio." 

horatio reached up, fingers tracing hamlet's curved brow, "whatever for?"

he felt the air shift, and hamlet was down one knee.

horatio's heart leapt into his throat and an unknown feeling flooded him from the bottom of his belly to the tips of his ears. hamlet was staring up at him; his pale face flushed with color, eyes nervous but impassioned with a determination that was _so like him_ horatio thought he might cry. 

"marry me, horatio, won't thee?"

_marry me._

something warm stirred within horatio, and as he felt his lips spread into a smile and his eyes filled with tears, the answer came to him.

"yes!"

there was a tangle of limbs and the lovers found themselves on the floor, horatio's tears falling onto hamlet's cheeks as they kissed with such fervor it made his ears ring. everything was warm and hamlet's lips felt _so right_ against his- they always did. they broke apart, briefly, foreheads knocking and the tips of noses bumping against each other. hamlet's hair was mussed and his cheeks a hundred different shades of red; horatio couldn't imagine he looked any better. 

"horatio!" his lord laughed, breathless, "darling horatio, thou really-"

"yes, yes! oh, sweet lord, my joy, of course i shall!"

hamlet sighed, eyes shining with gladness and seizing the lovestruck scholar by his chin for another kiss. this one was marked, sweeter than the wedding bells horatio swore he could already hear. 

it was after a second- and much longer- round of kissing that they slowed down, murmuring declarations of love meant solely for each other's ears. hamlet pressed his lips to the hand upon his cheek, and horatio felt himself melt.

"mine husband..."

"husband! horatio, thou has caught on easily."

"only for you, my love- but how?"

"once i am king, my sweet, none can disobey me. i shall cherish thee as i please."

hamlet's hands had found their place around horatio's waist again, squeezing lightly. horatio shivered. it almost shocked him; he'd never dreamed love could be so _much_ , that he could feel this way.

they kissed once more, and horatio swore the tears that spilled from his eyes were the happiest they'd ever been.

**Author's Note:**

> this was messy but i love them so much it's unreal!! also who doesn't love a good marriage proposal!!!
> 
> thank u sm for reading 💕


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